my girl is now on day 54, she has breezed through, but i feel terrible about doing this to her, she is having a large litter for her size, and she is huge. she is tired tonight and looks miserable although still waggy and wanting a fuss, im all emotional and in a mess and im not the pregnant one, she is eating and drinking well..............like a pig, im scared she will go early and we will lose the pups after getting this far, because she is so big, pups are moving fine and everything, its just me........lack of sleep im an emotional wreck .

Sorry

I'm sure she will be just fine :)  Try and get some sleep before the pups do arrive though :) Sounds like you need it.

And I'm sure it's perfectly normal grandma to be feeling :)

thankyou, i just feel bad i suppose, its her first litter and she took everyone by surprise by being scanned at 8/9  she is asleep on my folding bed at the minute, so i got the sofa, but she has settled now.

As long as she is wagging her tail.  She might jut be looking miserable because she's tired and possibly abit fed up of being pregnant?  (Well going by what humans say!) So I could imagine she's feeling like that but if she's wagging her tail and eating then there doesn't seem too much wrong with her.

I'm pretty sure the two of you will do just great :) 

Is it possible someone else could spend a night with her before she does start delievering to give you a nights rest?  You really do sound like you need it and with a big litter on the way it could be a long day/night on day of delievery and then making sure they are all ok and healthy for the following 8 weeks...I feel for you but we both know you will love every minuet despite the sleepless nights.

Take care of yourself as well as your girl.

I'm going to bed myself now so night and sleep well :)

got a ex breeder friend dog sitting on thursday as im going to see pirates of the caribbean 3, i will appreciate the rest from dog duty, feel much better this morning thanks, and my girl is as chirpy as usual, still on my folding bed, good job the sofa is comfortable

Its normally about this stage I always regrett mating them. I have serious doubts and wish I could turn back time lol I was the same when I was carrying my own kids to. My girl would sit and look at me as if to say it is your fault.   Then I get the what if something goes wrong she means more to me than a litter of pups. I suppose it is only natural and shows you care for your dogs.

I sit pushing with her at every contraction lol. but once they are born and you see the love on the bitches face it is worth it. Lack of sleep is another problem though that goes on longer lol

Wendy

Just to say, if yo get to day 58 pups should be fine to be born. :)

she is till fast asleep on my bed................whelping box here now, i am getting no housework done, im just sitting with her feeling the puppies moving..............im glad im not the only one that regrets it, i would have been happy with one puppy, i have people at hand, but the help and advice people on here give is excellent, i just needed to sound off last night..................pmt

hope everything goes ok with your girl, i have been feeling the same way about mine, have i done the right thing its when she looks at me as if to say what did you do to meeee lol but shes the same wagging her tail and still eating ok shes on day 61 :D
she hasnt bothered too much about the whelping box before but has been in it earlier having a wee dig its getting closer and im sooo excited :D as for the getting no housework done dito i get up to do something then plonk myself down beside her feel the puppies lol hope you feel better and enjoy your night out :D

HI
i regretted mating my girl, she always looked so miserable and she couldnt settle towards the end, pacing round at night.However my litter is 6 weeks old now and I am beginning to worry that she will miss the pups when they leave in 2 weeks time.She likes to go out in the garden and see them at various times of the day spending time playing with them, I know i am going to miss them when they go.

By 8 weeks she won't worry about them going and she'll still have the puppy that you're keeping to Mother.

My girls second litter was huge and she looked ready to burst she could hardly walk, I was actually more worried about the pressure on her legs than anything else and quite happy to have her to the vets for a C-section so as to avoid me having to look at her soooooooo... big and obviously feeling the strain herself.

But she whelped with no problems on her due date, all pups alive and well, I know how you feel seeing them so big and obviously in this heat too, but many of us look and feel the same, (my second born was huge compared to me :-D) and we get through it ok, so try not to worry I'm sure she will be absolutely fine, she sounds to be in very good health and doing really well, try to relax and let nature take it's course, and keep her as cool as possible.

i am keeping her cool, but she is doing so well, i have spoken to vets who suggest a c-section if she doesnt start before 63 days from last mating, her tummy is nearly on the floor, but puppies still moving well, and mommy is ok tired but still wanting a fuss and wagging her tail, she actually perked up the morning after my post, so im chilling out now. 

hi

Why do a C section if everything is fine. She may be uncomfortable but surely being uncomfortable for a couple more days is better than having a major op. Try and hold out for a natural  delivery if you can, Better for everyone all round.

I agree; there's more chance of rejection with c-sections, which is a major disaster. They should only be used as a last resort, as a medical emergency.

I believe the breed concerned means a c section is more likely anyway.

Apparently this bitch is from self whelping lines, nothing wrong at all with giving her a go if that is the case!

No nothing at all and I believe the OP said it was her vets suggestion  only if labour hadn't started naturally before the  final due date. With a larger than average litter and a breed that may have problems (self whelping lines are no guarentee are they?)it is something to be concidered as an emergancy C-section is far more stressful than a planned one.

Stressful for the owner, certainly, but no different for the bitch, and she's the one that matters. :)

Erm I think there are definitely more stresses on the bitch with an emergancy C-Section and she may well be in more danger physical from the complications of being unable to deliver naturally.
Edited to add didn't mean stress as just anxiety.

Latest evidence on humans is that elective c-sections actually cause more physical problems down the line than emergency ones. If the bitch is never to have another litter then this wouldn't matter so much.

The bitches vets opinion has been given, I have said its worth concidering so thats my opinion. I'm sure the OP will do what she feels best :)

Nope no guarantee's but most of these dogs are never given the opportunity to have a go for themselves, normally planned c-section on day 60 which IMO is wrong! :-)
It's been confirmed the Dam is expecting rather a big litter I know which route I would sooner go down rather than put my dog through something that could be avoided and so unnecessary, vets have very little knowledge usually of in whelp bitches :-)

i myself have had 2 c-sections, first an emergency and there were many complications afterwards, my second was elective (he wouldnt turn) and went extremely smoothly, with no problems afterwards and i was up and about within hours,  obviously my girl comes first, vet has assured me that if a c-section is necessary (as it appears it is in this case) a planned one is far less stressful than a mad rush and the risks from complications are  less, my vets do have experience with my breed, and i have used them for 20 years +  for dogs and our livestock.  Obviously i would rather she could whelp herself, but my girl comes first, other breeders i have contacted have all suggested c-section in this circumstance.

I agree early elective C-sections may well be unnecessary but I think in this case 63 days from final mating is worth thinking about I haven't said definitely section  :) After all its not my decision to make (thankfully)

if she starts earlier and appears to be doing ok, i will leave her for an hour or 2 to see how she goes, (obviously if she appears to be in any distress we will go striaght to the vets), i do want to give her the chance to whelp herself, experienced friends and dogs owner are on standby and my girls breeder is at the end of the phone, so there will be plenty of experienced help here (i would probably take her to the vets unnecessarily because i have heard too many horror stories and its my first litter from this breed) but she will get every chance to manage herself.  but by the same token, 63 days from last mating is all i will leave her.

she was panting all night, but has settled this morning and gone to sleep, very picky with her food now she can only manage a bit at a time, i think she will go a bit early, i dont think she will last another 6 days. Looks fit to pop now.

ohh good luck keeping fingers crossed here for a safe delivery for mum and pups :D

Any more news?

nothing so far, she is sleeping in her whelping box and will probably make me wait untill the last minute, everyone is on alert, mobiles charged and glued to their hands, she has a bit of intermittent panting now and again, but the nesting has stopped, another long night tonight.

she has been sick a few times this afternoon, and hasnt eaten all day, she will not settle in the whelping box she is just standing in the kitchen and is reluctant to move.....................could this be it?

Sounds like something is happening deep inside her and she can feel it!!!!Good luck, think you are going to have a busy night.Gail :) :) :)

i am counting day 59 from the first mating, she will be day 57 from 2nd mating, is this too early, should the puppies be ok if they come tonight?

Puppies should be fine if born tonight.In my breed, we reckon on pups possibly being born up to 5 days early to the first mating without any problems.Gail :) :) :)

Any news yet?
Eavie

just had to rush her in for a c-section, she was not contracting,  vets will ring with news...i feel awful again

I hope all goes wellfor you and ur little girl, Good Luck

Hows the girl doing?

10 puppies..................6 boys and 4 girls

well done = that is a lot - hope your girl is ok and you feel a bit better

congrats, hope they are all well.

Aww, congratulations, I hope all is okay.
Karen